This invention relates generally to a device for the noninvasive fragmentation of body concretions and more particularly to a device with an integral ultrasonic locating and positioning means whereby the concretion is localized with ultrasonics and the device is positioned in response to ultrasonicly derived information.
The formation of body concretions is a fairly common occurrence in humans. For example, it is estimated that one of every ten American males and one of every forty American females will be treated for kidney stones, one of the most common body concretions, during their lifetime. The occurrence of kidney stones is usually debilitating to the patient and causes a significant loss of productive labor to industry. In many cases, treatment requires major and often repeated surgery. Many attempts have been made to develop a simple and effective noninvasive treatment of kidney stones. One such method involves chemical dissolution of the stone, however, most of these attempts have been unsuccessful and impractical because of the slowness of the dissolution process.
Another method involves the direct contact of the concretion by the energy source. As such the procedures of this method are either transurethral or surgical. Two of the most common procedures are the electrohydraulic shockwave and the ultrasonic lithotripter. The electrohydraulic shockwave is generated via two well-isolated, high voltage leads which are carried by a common cystoscope to the stone and a high capacity condenser is discharged via the probe causing a spark to jump between two poles. This sparking causes a hydrodynamic wave which destroys the concretion upon contact. The ultrasonic lithotripter device produces ultrasonic waves which are carried by a hollow steel probe to the concretion. These two methods are generally limited to treatment of bladder stones.
The advent of high-speed physics and the development of a method of generating shockwaves by an underwater spark gap led to a method of noninvasive fragmentation of body concretions. One such device for the noninvasive fragmentation of kidney stones includes a large bath in which the patient is immersed, crossed X-ray beams for the localization of the stone and an underwater spark gap for the generation of high energy shockwaves which are focused at the kidney stone.
As can be appreciated a system such as described above has many disadvantages. The large space required for the bath and the X-ray system as well as the electronics for the generation of the underwater spark gap is a major detriment. Another detriment is that it requires multiple shockwaves to fragment the stone to particles that will pass through the urinary system and the repeated positioning of the spark gap apparatus requires multiple X-rays which are very detrimental to the patient.
It is therefore one object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus for the noninvasive fragmentation of body concretions that is simple, small in size, effective and inexpensive for the patient.
It is another object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus for the noninvasive fragmentation of body concretions that does not require multiple X-rays of the patient.
It is a further object of this invention to provide method and apparatus for the noninvasive fragmentation of body concretions that does not require the immersion of the patient.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.